408 Marketing Q&A: How to Price Your Services, Evaluate PR Opportunities, and Build an Instagram Strategy That Actually Converts

Quick SummaryIn this candid solo session, Kelsey answers your top marketing questions — covering pricing strategy, how to evaluate cold PR pitches, and what to do when your Instagram feels scattered and purposeless. Woven throughout are honest life updates: navigating her second pregnancy, the power of accountability, and how to embrace change as an entrepreneur.In This EpisodeWhy accountability partners (and assistant nudges) are the secret to getting things doneHow pregnancy #2 has looked very different — and why Kelsey is packing her calendar before mat leaveDebating winter babies vs. summer babies (she genuinely wants your input)The Picasso story and what it teaches you about price vs. valueHow to know if your prices are too low, too high, or just rightThe truth about cold pitch emails — when to say yes and when to runA step-by-step Instagram strategy for business owners who feel scatteredThe four-part Instagram sales funnel: Create, Connect, Collect, ConvertWhy showing up imperfectly beats waiting for perfect every timeKey TakeawaysAccountability changes everything. You'll cancel on yourself, but you won't cancel on someone else. Use that psychology intentionally — schedule with others, hire coaches, or create external check-ins to move your biggest projects forward.Pricing is a gut check. If you feel undervalued after every transaction, your prices are too low. If you feel like you're ripping someone off, they may be too high. When it feels like a mutual exchange of value — you've nailed it.Evaluate cold pitches with your wallet and your gut. Only pay for media opportunities you're 100% okay losing. Ask for traffic stats, audience demographics, and backlink terms. Some are incredible; many aren't.Brand pillars create consistency. Before you open Instagram again, define 3–4 content pillars — at least one professional, one personal — and some rules for what you won't post. Decision fatigue is the enemy of consistency.Don't stop at "create." Most business owners post and walk away. The real magic is in connecting with your audience, collecting intel on what they need, and then actually making an offer.Memorable Quotes"Picasso was pricing based on his value. He's put in thousands and thousands of hours — so to charge on an hourly basis simply does not make sense.""Once you make that leap, you can then decide: is this the right place for me, or do I need to keep moving forward? That's what you do through life — you just keep turning the next page.""The ratio of people who show up and create good content is probably 1% of Instagram users. The people who want to consume? Probably 99%. So yes, it feels competitive — but the opportunity is massive."Resources MentionedKelsey’s Website: KelseyReidl.comKelsey’s Instagram: @KelseyReidlInstaSales Course — Kelsey's four-hour Instagram sales funnel course (free for podcast listeners — DM "InstaSales" to @kelseyreidell on Instagram)Wave Mastermind — Kelsey's business mastermind communityYahoo! News — Referenced as an example of a paid media placement that converted to high-ticket clientsAbout the HostKelsey Reidl is an entrepreneur, fractional CMO, and host of Rain or Shine (formerly Visionary Life). She's been podcasting for 8 years, helping entrepreneurs show up consistently and build sustainable businesses. She runs the Wave Mastermind and specializes in marketing strategy, website design, and business growth. Kelsey is a mom to a 2-year-old, an avid mountain biker, and a firm believer in the "rain or shine" mentality.